Picking up the Pieces
by NickiePierce
Summary: sequal to A Walk In The Park. When Amber gets a strange phone call, she returns to Tulsa to conquer her past once and for all.
1. The Phone Call

**Author's Note:** hey guys im back! This is the long awaited sequal to my story A Walk In The Park. Now, there are a few things i have to say before you start reading.  
1) You will most likley be very lost if you haven't read A Walk In The Park, so i suggest you read it before you read this story.  
2) I am going to try and make this story a little less mary-sueish. Just because i can't write romances that well and i know most people dont like mary-sue's.  
3) If you don't like my story. dont read it. simple as that. no one is forcing you to read it.  
4) i appreciate constructive critisism because i'd rather have people point out my mistakes rather than leave them. i also accept flames. you can think what you want of my story. if you think it sucks then fine. just know that i dont really care because i know that there are people out there that like it.  
**IMPORTANT-** ok, now in this chapter you will hear three names. Amber, Valerie and Jenna. Amber is Valerie. That is the name she is using while she is in Pennsylvania. Jenna is her friend. I will descirbe her friends in the next chapter. also, the outsiders probably won't be comming into the story until the 3rd chapter.

**Disclaimer: **Idon't own the outsiders.I just own Amber/Valerie and Jenna.

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_Ring Ring_

The sound of a telephone ringing could be heard coming from inside a small Pennsylvania house. An 18 year old girl with straight, dirty blonde hair ran out of her room and down the steps to retrieve the phone.

"Hello" she said once she picked up the phone.

"Hello Amber" a raspy voice on the other line said.

"Umm, I'm sorry but I think you have the wrong number. No one named Amber lives here" the girl said. She was starting to worry because no one in Pennsylvania knew her true name was Amber. No one was supposed to know. Everyone in Pennsylvania knew her as Valerie. The only people who knew her as Amber, besides her family, were her friends in Tulsa and San Francisco, the place that she had lived in before moving to Tulsa.

About a year and a half ago, Amber had left her home in Tulsa because her father had tried to kill her. The police had felt that the only way Amber would be safe was if she moved to a different state with one of her relatives, and if she changed her name. No one besides the police were allowed to know where she was. So, for the past year and a half, she had no longer been Amber Baker, but Valerie Parker, a girl who moved with her aunt to Hawley Pennsylvania because her parents had been killed in a plane crash. To everyone in Hawley, that was who she was and why she was there. No one knew the real reason, or the real her.

"Come on Amber, don't you remember me?" the voice said, breaking her from her thoughts.

"No, I'm sorry I don't, and I have already told you that my name isn't Amber. Please, you have the wrong number ok? Now, good-bye" the girl said as she went to hang up the phone.

"You hang up on me and I'll make your life a living hell!" the voice on the other line said quickly, making her stop dead in her tracks. With a shaky hand, she slowly brought the receiver back to her ear. The man on the other line laughed.

"Now listen to me and listen closely. I know where you are, I know who you are. Your little act may have worked for a while but I've finally caught you. You tell anyone about this phone call, and you'll be sorry. Something bad is going to happen. And it's going to happen very soon."

"What?" the girl asked confused.

"You'll find out when the time comes" was the answer that she got. She was about to say something to the man when she heard the phone click and the line go dead. The mystery caller had hung up.

"Oh my god" she said to herself out loud. Pacing the floor, she tried to figure out what to do. Should she call the police? Should she tell her aunt? Should she tell them both about her suspicion? The dangerous feeling that she had in the pit of her stomach, that the mystery caller had been her father? Had he truly found her? Stopping for a minute, she decided that she wouldn't tell anyone. It was probably just her friend playing a joke on her. But then how would they know her name?

"Uh, no! Stop it!" she yelled at herself.

"It was just a joke. Ok" she said, still talking to herself. Deciding that she needed to cool off, Amber, or, Valerie as she was now known as, walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water. She grabbed a glass from the cabinet, filled it up with water, and took a sip. Relaxing a bit, she leaned against the cool marble of the countertop. Just as she was starting to relax, the phone rang, scaring her and causing her to drop the glass of water that she had in her hand. She cursed as the glass shattered and water overflowed everywhere. Stepping over the tiny pieces of glass on the floor, she walked towards the phone, debating on if she should pick it up. She decided that she would pick up the phone, and nervously, she reached for the receiver.

"Hello?" she asked, praying that it wasn't the guy from before.

"Hey Val! What's up?" she a bubbly voice on the other line.

"Oh thank god." Valerie said, letting out a sigh of relief. It was her friend Jenna.

"What's wrong?" Jenna asked.

"Well, I'm home alone because my aunt went shopping and someone just…" she started.

"Someone just…?"

"Never mind" Valerie said deciding that she wouldn't tell her friend what happened.

"Ok.., whatever. Anyway, Me, Josh and James are going to go to the movies tonight. Wanna come?"

"Sure" Valerie said. She always loved hanging out with her friends and she figured that it would probably be a good thing to get out of the house and try to forget about the mystery caller.

"Ok, cool. James will pick you up at 7." Jenna said.

"Ok" Val answered.

"Well, I gotta go, see ya soon" Jenna said and then hung up.

Turning to look at the clock, Valerie saw that it was 4. James and the rest of her friends were coming at 7, so that meant she had 3hours to get ready. She decided that she would take a shower, get dressed and then make dinner. But first, she had to clean up the kitchen floor. Sighing, she bent over to the ground and started picking up the pieces of glass.

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ok, well there is the first chapter of the sequal. hope you all liked it! review please :). reviews make me very happy. also, check out my other story Whatever You Do, Don't Scream.

xohugsndkissesox 


	2. A Night Out

**Authors Note: **I know, I know. It's taken a million + years to post this chapter. Im not gonna give you an excuse because you probably don't care. so, i know that alot of you have been waiting for this so i'll just get down to the point.  
1) ok, i dont know what type of cars they had back thenso i just wrote that Valeries friend had a mustang. if they didnt have them back then (which im pretty sre they did) then pls dont shot me.  
2) i dont know the style back then either so the characters of James and Josh might seem unappropriate for the time period. once again im sorry, dont shot me.

**Thank Yous-  
Elven Dragon Rider  
QTpie4  
UrnotSethCohen  
WriterAzrael**  
**Caitym  
Stardust104  
Queen of tears** (about the Jenna character. i dont know if you were joking about me stealing your character of not but i wanted to let you know that i had no knowledge of her in your story. If you'd like me to change the name i will. If you were kidding then ignore what i just said :) )  
**Rugrats101**

Disclaimer- Dont own the outsiders. only own Valerie/Amber, Jenna, Josh and James.

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- 7pm -  
By 7pm Valerie was dressed and ready to go. She was wearing a black tank top that had the words "Rock and Roll" in white on it and fade blue jeans with rips at the knees. Her dirty blonde hair sat loosely on her shoulders.

A car horn honked and she ran to the window. A black mustang sat waiting for her at the edge of her driveway. She quickly scribbled down a note for her aunt telling her where she was going, placed it on the white marble counter and ran out the door.

"Hey Val" her friend James said as she approached the car. James was a great guy, and a great friend. He was one of the first people she had met in Pennsylvania. He was 18 years old and had semi-long brown hair that covered up a little bit of his light blue eyes and light colored skin. IN school he was known as a 'skater' because of his long hair and because he loved skateboarding. He was really good at skateboarding and had won a few medals from skate competitions. Tonight he was wearing a black t-shirt with a picture of a skull on it, a black hat and blue jeans.

"Hey James" Valerie answered giving him a hug. He opened the car door for her and she got in. James was going to be driving, Valerie was n the passengers seat and her two friends Josh and Jenna were sitting in the back.

Josh was 18 with medium length black hair with blonde highlights and brown eyes. He was wearing a red shirt that said "Number one" on it, black pants and a black fingerless glove on his left hand.

Jenna was Valerie best friend. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes. She was the type of person that you could tell anything to and know that your secret would be safe. She was a really crazy and outgoing person. You never knew exactly what top expect from Jenna. She had on a white tank top and green pants.

"So, where are we going?" Valerie asked James.

"Movies" he said as he put his foot on the gas and sped off.  
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It was around 11pm when James car pulled back into the driveway of Valerie's house. Valerie got out of the car and ran up her driveway.

"Bye" she shouted as James's car drove down the block and out of sight. She quickly slipped her house key out of her back pocket and opened the door.

"Aunt Lilly" she called.

"I'm home". No one responded.

"Aunt Lilly?" she called again. For the second time she didn't get a response. Thinking nothing of it, she figured that her aunt had fallen asleep so she went upstairs to her room, got into her pajamas and went to bed.


	3. The Discovery

**Authors Note: **You lucky people get a second chapter from me! yay.

**Disclamier-** Dont own the outsiders. you know the deal. I also dont own "Secrets Dont Make Friends" by From First To Last. (great band. you should listen to them when u get the chance)

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You were always my enemy and carefully crafted my demise  
Our hearts beat strong under fictitious skies  
You were always my enemy,you sucked the life out of me  
Your words are deadly weapons  
Killing me, destroying me  
Your words are deadly weapons  
Scatter my brains across the wall  
- "Secrets Don't Make Friends" From First to Last-

The next morning Valerie woke up at 8. The house was quite and she found it a little odd. Usually her aunt was up making breakfast and listening to the radio or watching tv. She walked downstairs and into her blue painted kitchen hoping to find a note or something. There was none. The kitchen was clean and untouched.

Starting to panic a little, she ran up the stairs and to her aunts room. When she reached her aunts room she found the door shut. She knocked once but there was no answer. She knocked again, this time a little longer and harder. When she still received no answer she opened the door and walked in. Her heart suddenly dropped to her stomach and she had the sickening sensation that she was about to throw up. Time seemed to stand still as her eyes slowly skimmed the room. It was a mess. All the pictures and make-up that had once sat on her aunts brown furnished dresser were now scattered about and broken on the glossy wood floor. There were a few places on the spotless light green walls that had dents in them, almost as if someone had punched the wall. The lamp that had sat on her aunts nightstand was hanging off the edge of it by the cord. The clean white sheets of her aunts queen sized bed were twisted together and Valerie could have sworn that she saw a few little red spots on them. It was only after the numb feeling in her body had vanished that she noticed a cool breeze pass by her and that the window on the other side of her aunts bedroom was open.

'Where is she?" were the only words she could think of. 'Where is she? Where is she? Where is my aunt?' The words played over and over again in her head like a broken record. She let out a loud anguished sigh and felt the room start to spin. Her legs turned to jell-o and she quickly lunged for her aunts bed to keep balance.

'Something's wrong. Something happened. I'm in trouble. I have to leave. I have to call the police. I have to find my aunt' Millions of thoughts raced through her head and jumbled up into a complete mess. She looked over towards the nightstand that was next to the bed and saw the all to familiar black telephone. She knew what she had to do. Shakily she picked up the receiver.

Beep, beep, beep was the sound that echoed through the house as she dialed 911.

"Hello, you've reached 911, please state your name and situation" said a women's voice.

"My name is Valerie Parker and I'd like to report a break in and a missing person."

"Ok, what is the name of the person, how long have they been missing ands where do you live"

"Lilly Parker, since last night and my address is 254 N. Hunter Street"

"Ok, well send the police over right away. Would you like me to stay on the line with you until they get there?"

"No, I'll be fine" Valerie said, attempting to sound reassuring, not only for the women on the other line, but for herself too.

"Ok" the women said and Valerie hung up. She sat on the bed for a moment and looked around the room. She knew what she had to do.

Running into her room, she grabbed a red and black backpack that sat behind her door. Quickly she started grabbing all of her clothes and possessions and shoving them into the bag. Next she got dressed. She put on a faded blue jean skirt, and black tank top that had three hearts on it and said "Heartbreaker". She put on black boots and a black choker with a heart on it. She took one last look and the purple poster covered walls of her room before putting on her red half jean jacket, grabbing her backpack and bolting down the stairs. She was running away. And she knew exactly where to go.

The sounds of police sirens could be heard in the distance as Valerie ran towards her front door. Grabbing the cold brass knob, she swiftly opened the door and ran out. She was going to the train station located 15 minutes from her house. Once she reached the train station everything would be fine. She was leaving. Leaving the place that had been her home for so many months. Leaving the place where she lived her fake life. She was going back to where she had friends who had known her for such a short time, yet loved her. Back to where all her problems started. Back to pick up the pieces of her life that had so quickly shattered so many months ago.

When she had finally reached the train station, she walked up to the ticket booth and said

"One ticket to Tulsa, Oklahoma please."

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ok, so 2 chaps in one night. your very lucky. please review. it will make me very happy. oh, and i might not be able to update till the beggining of Feb because i have midterms in 2 weeks and i have to study. Also, my story Whatever You Do Dont Scream, might not be updated till then either.

xoxoxo 


	4. Hotel rooms and Cell Phones

**Author's Note: **ok, i know what's probably going through your mind right now- "Holy crap she updated". i couldnt figure out what to write because it seems that my ideas for the story have slipped away from me. so. depending on the reviews i might not continue it. so..sorry if this chaps a bit boreing.

anyway. now, some things in teh chapter may not be correct for the time period..i did my best though. if your confused or anything than you can send me an email and i'll respond.

**THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH TO ALL MY REVIEWERS. I LOVE YOU ALL. **

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Valerie awoke to the whistle of the train. She rubbed her eyes and looked at her watch. It read 11:30am. The train conductor came over the loud speaker and announced that they had finally reached Tulsa. It had taken three days and 4 train rides but she was at lomg last in Tulsa. Valerie picked up her suitcase and got up to exit the train.

As she stepped out into the warm, bright sunlight of the croweded train station, she felt a wave of calmness. She was finally back, just as she had promised Johnny. Looking around she wondered where she should go. Should she go to the Curtis house? Or should she get a hotel. This is something that raced through her head all throughout the train ride. Her final decision was no. She had thought about it on the train alot and decided that she would wait a few weeks- or maybe a month- to go back to that house. She wanted to make sure that her father would be long gone and nowhere near her before she went near the gang again. She didn't want anything happening to any one of them.

Reaching into the pocket of her jean skirt, she pulled out some money. $200 dollars, maybe more. It wasn't alot, but it certainly would buy her a hotel and food until she found a job. She saw a buswaiting just outside of the train station and she quickly ran to it before it had a chance to drive away.

It took her a little while, but she eventually found a pretty cheap hotel on the border between middle class and greaser territory. It wasn't the nicest hotel that sh'ed been to but it would have to do. The room she got turned out to be fairly decent. It had cream colored walls and a cranberry rug. There was a tv that sat ontop of a wooden dresser, a pretty decent sized bed, a table, a small bathroom and a nightstand with a lamp.

After she was done looking around, she placed her bags in the floor and unpacked all of her belongings. Once finished, she plopped onto her bed and laid back. There was an uneasy silence that filled the room and sent chills up her spine. She wasn't used to it being this quiet. She probably would have sat there for hours, staring at the walls of her empty hotel room if it weren't for the overly loud growl that escaped from her stomach. Realizing that she hadn't yet eaten today, she decided that it would be a good idea to go find a restaurant or burger joint to get some food. She grabbed some money off the table, sunglasses and her cell phone.

Locking her hotel room, she dashed down the stairs and out the door. It was a relief to once again be in the warm sunlight surrounded by tons of chattering people and noisy cars. The sound was relaxing. More relaxing than being cooped up in the noiseless hotel room.

"Humm, where should I go?" she asked herself. The only places that could come to mind were The Dingo and a hang out that the guy's used to go to called Jay's. Though they were the only places she knew of, she wondered if either of those were the best place to go. Surely one of the boys would be there at this hour. She debated on this for a few moments before her hunger got the best of her. She had sunglasses, so if they came in she could put them on and they wouldn't be able to see her face. Also the fact that she had changed quite a bit since she last saw them. Her hair was lighter with more blonde in it, her skin not as pale and her clothing choice different.

Her stomach let out another loud growl and she started off to the Dingo, hoping that someone from the gang wouldn't be there.

The walk to the Dingo took a little longer than expected- it probably would have been easier if she'd taken a bus or rented a car. The Dingo looked exactly how it had when she left. Nothing about it had changed except for the large piece of tape that seemed to be covering up a crack in the window- most likely from a fight. Pushing the door open she walked inside and glanced around the room quickly. None of the gang was there. Relief overcame her as she walked over to sit at a table.

A waiter with semi-long brown hair walked up to her to take her order.

"Hello, I'm Billy and I'll be your waiter. What can I get you?" the guy said with a smile.

"Um, a water and a salad thanks." She responded. The waiter gave her a weird look and then said :

"I'm sorry, but, have we met before? You look familiar."

"Oh, um, no I don't think so" Valerie responded quickly.

"Oh." The waiter said before walking off.

Truth was that he had met her before. She vaguely remembered him as one of Soda's friends who she had seen at the DX a few times. Lucky for her that he didn't remember her too well. The last thing she needed was him to see Soda or the gang today and tell them that she was back in town before she got the chance to.

At that moment, she heard the door open again and heard 3 familiar voices. Two-bit. Steve. And Soda. She quickly covered her face with her hair and went to leave when her cell phone went off. "Crap" she mumbled to herself. She checked the caller ID and it said that it was her friend Jenna calling. Quickly she picked up the phone before it could draw anyone's attention and whispered the words "hello". She looked over to where the 3 boys stood and saw soda look at her, then do a double take.

"Oh my god, Valerie are you ok? Where are you?" her friend frantically said into the phone.

"There are police cars at your house and –"

"Jenna shush for a minute" she quickly, but quietly cutting her off. Grabbing her sunglasses she put them on and stood up. At that moment Billy came over with her food.

"Leaving so soon?" he said.

"Um, yea. Something's come up." – she handed him 5 dollars- "keep it for the trouble." She said as she started walking away, hoping that Soda hadn't noticed her too much yet.

"Somethings come up? What, Val your not making any sense." Jenna, who Valerie had forgot was still on the phone said.

"Um...Jen one more minute" Valerie said as what she feared came true.

It was too late.

Soda must have noticed her because he was walking in her direction.

"Hey wait, what's your name?" Billy asked. She quietly cursed under her breath.

"Valerie Parker" She said quickly, wanting to get out before Soda got any closer.

Luckily for her it seemed as though Soda had heard her say her name because he stopped, stared at her for a moment and then sadly turned around.

This was her chance to run, and that's exactly what she did.

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**ok. so yea. i did my best to try and write something. If any of you have ideas or something then please, lend them to me. I have an idea of how the basic story is gonna go but it's the chapters that lead up to the big points that i have no clue what to do with. **

**also. tell me if you'd like me to continue with this story. if people dont want me to then i think i might stop writting it. but, if i get one reviwer who wants me to continue than i shall. just know that it might take a little while to update.** REVIEW!

**later my loves 3**


	5. recognized

**Author's Note:** i blame tests, SAT'S and lack of an inspirational muse for not updating in so many months. i'd lost my intrest in writting for a while and i ran out of ideas about where the story was going. but, now, im back and have a clue as to what im going to do next in the story. im terribly sorry if this chapter is crap. i didn't really know what else to write as a transition chapter.  
**Note:**Dally may seem ooc. sorry bout that. the chap might seem too dramatic/dragged out. sorry again. i use the names Amber/Valerie alternativly throughout the chap. in the beginning i call her valerie and by the end she's amber again. sorry if it confuses anyone, but when she's with tulsa people her name is Amber again.

**Thank You's:** Rugrats101, RachieBabe, Maddiecake, Stardust104, QTpie4, Weasleygrlz07, i love you all. thanks for the reviews.

**Disclaimer: i** dont own the outsiders. i do however, own Amber/Valerie

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Once she'd made it out the door, she let out a breath of relief and put her attention back to the phone conversation she was suppose to be having with Jenna.

"VALARIE!" the voice on the phone screamed.

"Sorry" Valerie said.

"Will you please tell me what the hell is going on?" Jenna asked impatiently.

"Um, ok, look. I can't tell you now, just know that I'm ok and I'll explain later." Valerie said quickly while scanning the parking lot to make sure no one else was around to possibly recognize her.

"Huh?" Jenna asked dumbly.

"Jenna I'll call you back later. Bye" she said quickly, hanging up before giving her friend time to respond.

Taking one last look around the parking lot, she started running to the nearest bus stop, which happened to be located about a block away. She was turning the corner when she collided with something hard. The impact caused her to rapidly fall backwards. She braced herself, waiting got her body to come in painful contact with the hard cement but it never came. Instead she felt two strong arms quickly grasp her waist, saving her from the fall. She opened her eyes-which she hadn't realized that she had closed until now, and looked up to see who her savior was. Her warm brown colored eyes met the confused stare of two icy cold ones. Both her and the stranger gasped.

The two eyes belonged to none other than Dallas Winston.

"Amber?" he asked shocked. _Run Run Run! _Her brain screamed at her, but as always, she didn't listen to her brain.

"um, no, no" she said, nervously laughing. "I'm sorry but you have the wrong person, my name is Valerie." She said quickly, and in a high pitch, trying to disguise her voice.

Dally stared at her.

"You sure about that hun?" he asked laughing.

"Of course I'm sure. I think I know my own name." she said irritated.

"Why are you lying?" he asked.

"What are you talking about. I'm not this Amber person." She said while trying to slowly inch away from him.

Noticing what she was trying to do, Dally grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him.

"Lift up the lower part of your shirt" he said.

"EXCUSE ME! I'd like you to know that I am not some sort of stripper either" she said furious.

"Oh come on, I know that you know that is not how I meant it. Please, just do it" he said.

"Why should I?" she answered defensively. He didn't answer, just continued to stare at her.

"Fine" she huffed. As soon as she did, Dally's eyes flew to the lower part of the right side of her stomach. He had found what he was looking for; proof that she was really Amber. He lightly brushed his fingers over a long scar located where he was looking. Valerie stared at him.

"How did you get that?" Dally asked.

"Um...i... tripped over my dog and fell into my table" She said quickly making something up._ Well that was certainly genius_ she said to herself as she looked to see Dally's reaction.

He laughed "Do you expect me to believe that?" he asked, still laughing.

"Yes, cause it's the truth" she said.

"Why are you lying to me?" Dally asked shaking his head disapprovingly.

"I'm...I'm not" She mumbled looking down.

"Yes you are! And do you want to know how I know?" He asked looking at her as if he expected an answer from her. She just continued to stare at the ground.

"I know because you got that scar three years ago when your dad stabbed you. Exactly a year before you moved to Tulsa and met Johnny and the gang." Dally said angrily.

She looked up; it seemed that there was no way out of this one. She sighed and gave in, mentally cursing herself from not following her brain and running when she had the chance.

"Dally, why are you doing this to me"

"Why? Because I want to know why you're back but seemingly trying to hide from your old friends!" he said.

"Dally you wouldn't understand and it isn't any of your business" Amber said.

"Like hell it isn't! When were you planning on coming over to tell us you were back?"

"I..." she started but he cut her off.

"Two, three weeks from now? A month maybe. Or maybe you weren't even planning on coming?" he said.

"I...don't know" she said quietly.

No one spoke.

"Why is this such a big deal?" she asked.

"Because you weren't the one who had to live with Johnny and watch him slowly rot for 2 years." He yelled. She winced at his words.

"You didn't see him after you left. He broke down. He knew you had to go but it still killed him inside. He hasn't been the same. It's like when you left you took half of him with you. He rarely talks, rarely goes anywhere. He still hasn't moved on after two years. We all tried to convince him that he needed to but he always had hope that you'd return. And now you finally did return and you weren't going to tell him. How could you do that! Do you have no shame? Are you that self centered! I bet when you left him it didn't hurt you at all!" he screamed.

By now she was in tears. Dally's words cut through her heart like millions of knives. She didn't know that Johnny felt like that. She had wanted him to move on, expected him to. Truthfullyeven she had doubts if she would've ever came back if not forthe recent events that took place.But Dally was wrong when he said that leaving didn't hurt her. Because truth was it hurt terribly.

"Dally I didn't know." She yelled.

"Well now you do. So think about what I said Amber. I really do hope that you chose to tell him your back, I really hope that you do the right thing" he said finally before turning on his heel and walking the other way.

She looked up to the sky to see that it had filled with dark gray clouds. Little drops of water started hitting her cheeks and hands, but she couldn't tell if it was her tears or the rain starting up. Maybe even both.

_Why didn't I run? _She asked herself again, though she already knew the answer to the question. Was it because she had really wanted someone to recognize her all along? _Yes._ Was it because she missed the gang and Johnny? _Yes._ Was it because being in Tulsa without her friends made her feel out of place and a stranger-like. _Yes._ Was it because she knew that eventually someone would remember her? _Yes. _Millions of theories and questions ran through her head and she found the answer to most of them yes.

A crack of thunder and a flash of lighting sent her spiraling back to reality. It started to rain harder and she was getting soaked. She ran over to the bus stop and sat on the bench, tears mixed with drops of rain, waiting for the bus to come. Would she go visit the gang tomorrow?

_Yes._

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**hope you all liked it. and i think you'll be happy to hear that the next chapter is already written. yes that's right, it's already written, i just have to upload it. expect it to be posted friday, saturday or sunday. the day depends on the amount of reviews i get.**

so. read and review! woo  
Ps: i dont know when im gonna be updating my other story (whatever you do don't scream) i still have to write half of the next chapter for it.


	6. Look who's back

**Author's Note:** woah. i'm actually updating at the given time i had promised. suprised you, didn't it. well, here's the next chapter. unfortunatley i didn't get a chance to write the 7th one. i'll try working on it now. and a few things before you read: yea, i do realise that her fashion is like way out of time period but oh well. and yea, other things might be a little ooc. sorry about that. and im gonna start to call Valerie Amber again. sorry if that confuses anyone.

**huge thank yous to: Rugrats 101 **and **QTpie4**, my only two reviewers for the chapter. it means so much to me that you are still reading this after it's taken me so long to update.

there is going to be an important note at the end of the chapter.** make sure to read it.

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**

She woke up the next morning to the crazy ringing and vibrating of her cell phone. She lazily turned on her side and looked at the caller id on the screen.

_James  
435-678-2691 _

Amber sighed and threw her phone across the room. She didn't want to deal with any of her Pennsylvania friends at the moment. Looking at the digital clock on the dresser next to her she saw it read 11am. It was late, and she mentally slapped herself for wasting almost half the day with sleep, but she couldn't seem to find the strength to get up out of bed.

_Note to self  
I miss you terribly  
This is what  
We call a tragedy  
Come back to me, come back to me  
to me' _

Her cell phone was going off again.

"Oh good lord" she said to herself. She quickly got up and ran over to her phone to shut it off. When she reached it, the ringing had stopped. Looking at the screen she saw that she had 20 missed calls and 6 voice messages. She shook her head and laughed. She shut off her cell and walked over to the hotel phone and called her voice mail to check her messages.

_First message: received from Jenna at 8 am  
Hey Val it's Jenna. Either your still asleep or your not answering your phone. Whatever the case, me, James and Josh are really worried about you. We want you to know that you can tell us anything and we wont tell the police or anyone else. Please please just call us and let us know your ok. You said you'd call back yesterday but you never did. So, as soon as you get this, call me. _

Beep

_Second message: received from James at 8:30am  
Valerie. Get your butt out of bed and answer your cell this second. Do you think that I'm being funny? Cuz I'm not...well maybe just a little. __But that's besides the point. Where are you! What happened at your house? Are you ok? PICK UP YOUR CELL PHONE! I'm not going to stop calling until I hear your voice and know your ok. Same for Josh and Jenna, but said she already spoke to you but you said you couldn't talk. And I don't really believe Jenna cuz she's delusional and even if she did speak to you I still want to talk to you myself. And now I'm rambling on. PLEASE. Call one of us as soon as you get to your phone. _

Beep.

_Third message: received from Josh: 9am.  
VALERIE ANNE PARKER, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU. You leave with no explanation; your house is swamped with police officers. What in god's name is going on? Look, if there's something your not telling us..Like, maybe you're a mass murderer from Yugoslavia or you're a klepto from New York then fine that's ok. Just tell us, we wont care. Ugh. That didn't make sense. What I mean to say is that you can trust us with anything and we don't care. If you're in some kind of trouble then maybe we can help. Please, call one of us when you can. _

Beep.

_Fourth message: received from James: 9:30_

_ANSWER YOUR PHONE WOMEN! _

Beep

_Fifth message: received from Jenna: 10am  
VALARIE! _

Beep

_sixth message: received from Josh: 10:30am  
this is seriously getting old. Pick up your phone already! Just so you know we're not going to stop calling until you answer one of us. _

'Where the hell did I find these people, they're insane' She wondered to herself. _No they aren't they're just worried about you. _She answered herself.

She walked back over to her bed and sat down making a mental list of what she should do. First she had to go face the Curtis's, Johnny, Steve, Two-Bit and Dally, no matter how much she didn't want to. Then, she had to call back one of her psycho friends before they all fell dead from panic attacks. She walked into her closet and picked out clothes, then went into the bathroom to take a shower. When she was done she got dressed. She decided to wear dark blue jeans, a studded belt, black converse, a black skull choker and a black and gray stripped tank top with a red pirate ship on it. He put her hair up in a ponytail and left her bangs out, brushing them to the right side of her face. Deciding not to bring her cell phone with her, she grabbed some money off the table and left.

It didn't take long to reach the Curtis household, considering that she took a bus. When she arrived at the house Darry's truck wasn't in the driveway. He was probably at work. She opened the metal gate and walked up the pathway too the door. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Part of her hoped that they weren't hoem and had decided to go out somewhere, while the other part hoped that they were there. After a minute or two she heard the lock on the door unclick_. Since when had they started locking their door?_ The doorknob turned and the door opened. The boy at the door's jaw dropped as he stared at the person in front of him.

"AMBER!" he screamed, attacking her with a big bear hug.

"Hi Soda" she smiled.

"Oh my god. I can't believe it" He said. Amber laughed. Soda grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the living room.

"hey guys! Look who I found on our front porch!" he said excitedly. Two-bit looked up from his position on the floor, Dally and Steve turned around in their seats at the dinning room table, Ponyboy ran into the room from down the hall and Johnny tilted his head sideways and opened his eyes from his spot on the couch. What happened next came at such speed that Amber had no clue what was going on. Two-bit flew up from the ground and crashed into her, picking her up and spinning her around and around. Steve ran over and joined Two-bit, picking her up and swinging her from side to side. Ponyboy ran over and half tackled, half knocked her over. Dally slowly got up and gave her a hug.

"Thanks" he whispered in her ear. The only person who hadn't come to her yet was Johnny. He still sat on the couch motionless and with a shocked look on his face. Everyone wet silent. Johnny sat up on the couch and shook his head, not believing what he was seeing.

"Your back!" he said, a huge smile forming on his face. Amber just nodded. Johnny got up a ran over to her, planting a kiss on her lips and embracing her in a tight hug.

"I always knew you'd come back" he said.

She put her head on his shoulder and buried her face in his neck. They stood there for a while, not wanting to let each other go. The guys had left the room to give them some privacy when Johnny had first run over to her. They eventually let go of each other and Johnny gave her another kiss, only this time it was a bit longer.

"Alright guys, you can come out from behind the wall now." Johnny said. Amber laughed and looked over his shoulder to see Sodapop stick his head out from behind the wall.

"No it's ok, keep going, pretend we aren't here!" he said. Amber glared at him and he laughed. Johnny grabbed her hand and led her over to the couch. The rest of the gang returned and went back to where they had been sitting when she first walked in. Amber leaned on Johnny and he put his hand around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"So, what made you decide to come back?" Two-bit asked.

"I don't know. I guess I just missed my family" she said looking at everyone. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Dally looking at her. He knew she was lying and she knew it too, but she couldn't tell the gang the reason just yet. It would worry them to much and she didn't want to bring down the happy mood that had filled the house upon her return.

"Chocolate cake?" Soda asked holding out a plate with a slice of cake on it. She laughed.

"Two years and your still eating chocolate cake constantly."

"Of course" he answered.

"Your all going to get massive cavities one day" she said laughing and taking the plate from Soda.

"Wow, wait until Darry sees you. He's going to flip" Pony said.

"I think this is cause for a celebration" Two-bit said.

"It's not that big of a deal" I said.

"It's not that big of a deal" Two-bit said, mocking me.

"What are you talking about, of course it is!" Johnny said from besides me.

"Buck's having a party tonight. I say we go" Steve said.

"I'm all for it!" Two-bit shouted.

"Of course you are Two-Bit. You're always for parties" Steve said playfully whacking him across the head.

"You know Steve if you keep doing that he's going to lose a lot of brain cells" Amber said laughing.

"yea Steve, listen to the lady" Two-bit said.

"What brain cells" Steve mumbled jokingly.

"Yea, you just keep pretending I didn't hear that" Two-bit said getting up and jumping on Steve, beginning a game of Uncle.

"Oh jeeze" Ponyboy said.

"Alright guys knock it off. I think going to the party is a good idea." Amber said.

"Then party it is!" Soda shouted.

It was then that she knew she'd made the right choice by coming back to them. She needed them more then she realized and being around them made her finally feel like she was home.

"Party it is" She said to herself.

* * *

**Important: **sorry if that seemed a bit unrealistic. anyway. i don't know when i will update next. im going to start the 7th chapter now but some unfortunate things have happened in my life that might prevent me from updating. my grandpa has been deathly ill and inthe hospital since march. now, i am extremley close to him and have seen him every single day of my life since i was one. so the fact thati havent been able to see him everyday and the fact that he's dying is effecting me terribly. i just got notice that he took a turn for the worst and the doctors said he probably will be dead by the end of the week, if he even makes it through today. so im extremley upset right now, and every phone call is making me shake and want to throw up for the fear that it will be the call tellign me he's gone. i'll try my hardest to update this story, and my horror story (since i haven't updated that one since april, but i can't garuntee anything.

anyway, read and review. it means the world to me.  
later loves. 


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